


christmas preparations

by vannral



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Christmas Decorations, Fluff, M/M, Mistletoe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-16
Updated: 2015-12-16
Packaged: 2018-05-07 02:33:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 878
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5440229
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vannral/pseuds/vannral
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Pietro visits the Barton farm for Christmas. There's also a mistletoe and a Rudolph the Reindeer that looks like a demon.</p>
            </blockquote>





	christmas preparations

     “That does not look like a reindeer.” 

There’s a lit plastic  _thing_ sticking out of snow. 

Lila giggles. “It’s Rudolph.” 

Pietro scowls at the offending thing-pretending-to-be-a-reindeer-which-it’s-not that is standing in the snow on the farm’s yard.

     “From the story, yes? It’s nose glowed?” 

     “You know it?” Lila squeals in delight and squeezes his hand. She looks a lot like Laura in this winter light. 

     “Yes. We have a similar song in Sokovia, but it has been a long time.” 

     “Dad hates Rudolph.” 

Pietro snorts, both amused and  _very much not surprised. “_ Is that so?” 

Lila, however, isn’t very happy about it; she frowns and swings Pietro’s hand in concentration. 

     “He thinks it’s creepy”, she says. Well, to be honest, Pietro agrees, because in his opinion, that  _thing_ looks like it belongs to Halloween decorations. Or hell. 

     “But you like it”, he points out, kneeling in front of her. “Does not matter what your silly father thinks.” 

Lila beams at him; bright and sweet. “He likes  _you”,_ she chirps.

Pietro flushes slightly, embarrassed and turns his gaze away to snow fields behind the farm house. They’ve been dancing around each other for a while now, and  _Pietro -_

 _Yeah, he’s a goner. Seriously._ It is not even funny. 

     “Let’s go inside, it is cold, and you do not have your scarf”, he mutters, takes her hand again, and they go inside. 

It’s warm, and it smells like gingerbread and hot chocolate, and Pietro feels oddly  _naked;_ this is  _home_ in a heartbreakingly familiar sense, and the  _fact that he’s welcome here,_ that everybody  _wants_ him here…

It’s more than he could ever want or deserve. 

And  _Clint…_ the old man, who has never given up on him, who has always been there, snarky and hilarious and so  _normal…_  Pietro never even stood a chance.

      “Where’s Cooper?” Pietro asks, because he hasn’t seen the boy yet. 

Lila makes a face. “He went shopping with Grandma.” 

     “She’s gonna spoil these two”, a familiar voice grumbles nearby, and Clint with a white apron wanders from the kitchen. He looks annoyed. 

     “What have you been up to?” Pietro asks, eyeing the apron with amusement. 

     “Baking. And I hate this gingerbread house.” 

     “It’s got a candy  _roof!”_ Lila explains to Pietro, but judging by Clint’s expression, it’s taken a long while. 

     “And you have not helped him?” Pietro asks her with a smile. 

     “I help, but he wants to decorate it by himself.” 

     “Hey now, stop talkin’ like I’m not even here. And you, missy, tell him about _your_ house. ‘s not like you don’t have one, ‘cause I was there.” 

Lila grins. “Mine is purple. Can I help you decorate, Dad?” 

Clint ruffles her hair. “Yeah, go ahead. Watch the candycane.” Lila giggles and runs into the kitchen. Clint turns to Pietro, and his gaze is soft, affectionate. “Hi.” 

     “Hey, old man”, Pietro murmurs, his heart swelling with such fierce love and devotion for this man. 

     “Trip went okay? Sorry if Lila crowded you, you’re probably tired.” 

     “It is okay, she is a sweet girl. She told me about Rudolph.” 

Clint grimaces. “I hate that thing. It freaks me out, Jesus - when I saw it the first time at night, I thought I was gonna have a heart attack. It’s eyes glow, too, did you notice? A reindeer demon straight from hell.”

     “Well, Lila likes it.” 

     “Which is why  _it’s_ still there.” 

Pietro laughs; a low, warm sound, and Clint looks  _dazed,_ when he looks at him. 

     “Dad?” 

Lila stands in the doorway, and she looks  _devious._

Clint is instantly suspicious. “What, honey?” 

She giggles. “You gotta  _kisss”,_ she sing-songs and points above them. 

A mistletoe. It’s very quiet for a couple of seconds. 

     “C’mon, honey, get back to kitchen”, Clint says stiffly. 

Lila’s face falls. “But  _Dad - “_

 _“_ No arguments. Go on”, Clint commands, and Lila stalks back, muttering furiously to herself. 

Clint turns toward Pietro, hesitating, and Pietro meets his nervous gaze. “You know you don’t gotta do anything - “ he starts desperately, and Pietro’s gaze flickers to Clint’s mouth. “I - “ 

   “If you do not want, then say so”, Pietro murmurs, accent thickening. His heart hammers against his chest. 

Clint swallows and almost  _trembles. “_ I want”, he breathes, almost whispering it against Pietro’s lips. “C’mon,  _kiss me.”_

It’s all Pietro needs; he grasps Clint and kisses him. It’s not chaste; it’s a deep, almost  _frantic_ kiss - Pietro wants this,  _wants this so much_ he almost  _hurts_ with it, wants  _Clint,_ and if this is  _all he can get, then -_

But Clint kisses back; he makes a relieved sound, and Pietro pulls him closer, his hand settling on the small of Clint’s back, and it’s  _hungry and he wants more, more -_

They are breathless, when they part, gazing at each other. 

     “Oh,  _geez”,_ Clint breathes heavily, “holy shit.” 

Pietro’s thumbs brush Clint’s cheekbones tenderly. “All right, old man? Did you have a stroke?” 

     “Pfft, don’t flatter yourself”, Clint laughs, but he’s still quite dazed. “Well, I guess you can. ‘Cause it’s kinda right. You stayin’ for Christmas?” 

     “Would not miss it.” Pietro kisses him again, gentler this time. 

     “Good. Then you can help me toss Rudolph the Red-nosed Demon out after the Christmas Eve. We’ll just tell her Santa wrecked our shit.”

     “You are  _on.”_


End file.
